Poinsettia plant named ‘RFAM441’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘RFAM441’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; early flowering habit; inflorescences with light and dark pink-colored flower bracts; and excellent post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.

Cultivar denomination: ‘RFAM441’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPoinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘RFAM441’. Plants of the newPoinsettia have not been made available publicly nor sold for more thanone year prior to the filing of this application.

The new Poinsettia plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program is to create vigorous Poinsettia plants with attractiveflower bract coloration.

The new Poinsettia plant is a naturally occurring whole plant mutationof a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified ascode number M0197, not patented. The new Poinsettia plant was discoveredand selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within a population ofplants of the proprietary parent selection in a controlled greenhouseenvironment in Rheinberg, Germany in December, 2013.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia plant by terminal vegetativecuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germanysince December, 2013 has shown that the unique features of this newPoinsettia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Poinsettia have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may varysomewhat with variations in environmental conditions such astemperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, anyvariance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘RFAM441’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘RFAM441’ as a new and distinct Poinsettiaplant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.    -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Early flowering habit.    -   4. Inflorescences with light and dark pink-colored flower        bracts.    -   5. Excellent post-production longevity.

Plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of theproprietary parent selection in flower bract color as flower bracts ofplants of the new Poinsettia are darker pink in color than flower bractsof plants of the proprietary parent selection.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of Euphorbiapulcherrima Willd. ‘RFPHPG1’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Poinsettia differedprimarily from plants of ‘RFPHPG1’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia and ‘RFPHPG1’ differed in flower        bract color as plants of ‘RFPHPG1’ had solid medium pink-colored        flower bracts.    -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Poinsettia had more        cyathia than inflorescences of plants of ‘RFPHPG1’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of thenew Poinsettia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Poinsettia plant.

The photograph comprises a top perspective view of a typical floweringplant of ‘RFAM441’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during thesummer in a glass-covered greenhouse and under cultural practicestypical of commercial Poinsettia production. During the production ofthe plants, day and night temperatures averaged 22° C. and light levelsaveraged 4,500 lux. Single plants were grown in 12-cm containers andwere pinched one time about three weeks after planting the cuttings. Twoweeks after pinching, the photoinductive treatments (long nyctoperiods)were initiated. Plants were 16 weeks old when the photograph and thedetailed description were taken. In the following description, colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘RFAM441’.-   Parentage: Naturally occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary    selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number    M0197, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three            weeks at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four            weeks at 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant habit and form.—Compact, upright and outwardly            spreading plant habit; broad inverted triangle, mounding;            inflorescences with large flower bracts positioned above the            foliar plane; moderately vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 16.3 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 27.4 cm.        -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity: Freely branching            habit, about six lateral branches develop after pinching.            Length: About 14.2 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Internode            length: About 1.2 cm. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 137A.        -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:            About 7.6 cm. Width: About 4.1 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:            Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Lobed; dentate. Venation            pattern: Pinnate. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous.            Texture, lower surface: Rugose, glabrous. Color: Developing            and fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 139A;            venation, close to 146C. Developing and fully expanded            leaves, lower surface: Close to 137B; venation, close to            146D. Petioles: Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 2.2 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146B.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound            corymbs of cyathia with flower bracts subtending the            cyathia; one inflorescence per lateral branch with            inflorescences positioned above and beyond the foliar plane.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower naturally during the            autumn and winter under long nyctoperiod conditions;            inflorescence initiation and development can be induced            under artificial long nyctoperiod conditions; early            flowering habit, response time is about eight weeks.        -   Post-production longevity.—Excellent post-production            longevity; plants of the new Poinsettia maintain good            substance and bract color for about twelve weeks under            interior conditions.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 10.4 cm. Height (depth):            About 2.6 cm.        -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About ten.            Length: About 5.3 cm. Width: About 2.8 cm. Shape: Ovate.            Apex: Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire; dentate.            Texture, upper surface: Glabrous; smooth, Texture, lower            surface: Glabrous; rugose. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color:            Developing bracts, upper surface: Random sectors, flecks and            speckles, close to 58A and 65B. Developing bracts, lower            surface: Close to 65A. Transitional bracts, upper surface:            Random sectors, flecks and speckles, close to 58A and 58B.            Transitional bracts, lower surface: Close to 146B. Fully            developed bracts, upper surface: Random sectors, flecks and            speckles, close to 58A and 65B; venation, close to 58A and            65B; colors becoming closer to 63A and 65C with development.            Fully developed bracts, lower surface: Close to 65B;            venation, close to 65B; color becoming closer to 65C with            development. Bract petioles: Length: About 8 mm. Diameter:            About 1.7 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144B.        -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About 18. Length: About 8 mm.            Width: About 4 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Texture, inner and outer            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, immature: Inner and outer            surfaces: Close to 143C. Color, mature: Inner surface: Close            to 143B. Outer surface: Close to 143C. Nectaries: Quantity            per cyathium: One. Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Shape: Ovoid. Texture, inner and outer surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Color, immature and mature: Inner surface: Close            to 17A. Outer surface: Close to 17C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to            143C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathium: About            ten. Filament length: About 7 mm. Filament color: Close to            53A. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 0.5 mm. Anther            color: Close to 187A to 187B. Amount of pollen: Abundant.            Pollen color: Close to 9A. Pistils: Quantity per cyathium:            One. Pistil length: About 7 mm. Style length: About 2 mm.            Style color: Close to 144B. Stigma shape: Crested. Stigma            color: Close to 59A to 59B. Ovary color: Close to 144A.            Seeds and fruits: Seed and fruit production have not been            observed on plants of the new Poinsettia.-   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have not    been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to    Poinsettia plants.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been    observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about    40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Poinsettia plant named ‘RFAM441’ asillustrated and described.